Planning & Hosting a Regional
Conference
Laura Henriques - CSU Long Beach
David Andrews – CSU Fresno
Jaime Arvizu – CSU Fresno
Sponsored by the NSF DUE # 0957862
Quick Overview
• Western Region started having regional
conferences in 2008 with some supplemental
funding from NSF
• A group of 3 campuses submitted a proposal to
be able to run WRNC for three years (2010-2012)
• Each campus in the western region is able to
attend. The grant pays for one project staff and 4
scholars/alums
• No cost to campuses to attend
2010 Conference
• Highly successful conference in Fresno (April
2010)
– Many breakout sessions led by Noyce Scholars &
Alums
– Sessions addressed technology, classroom
management, content, leadership
• Changes we wanted to make….
– Don’t repeat sessions (have more choices)
– Vertical alignment of strands instead of horizontal
– Hotel set-up issues
Conference Overview
• March 25-27, 2011
• Westin Hotel in Costa Mesa, CA (free airport
shuttle)
• Approximately 250 attendees from more than
50 institutions in the Western region
Objectives
• Participants will be exposed to a variety of training
opportunities specific to those who teach, or are
preparing to teach, science and mathematics
• Professional development will be directed at teaching
educators to access instructional resources available
through on-line digital libraries
• Participants will have the opportunity to form networks
with others who teach in the same discipline and face
many of the same challenges to teaching science and
math in high-needs settings
• Relationships formed will be maintained beyond the
conference by way of resources such as Merlot Voices
Highlights
• Welcoming Remarks
– Joan Prival, NSF Noyce Program Director
– Joan Bissell, CSU Teacher Education and Public Schools
Program Director
– Laura Kingsford, CSULB College of Natural Sciences
and Mathematics Dean
• Keynote Speakers
– Kendall Zoller, President of Sierra Training Associates
– Sharaud D. Moore, Freedom Writer
Friday, March 25
• Pre-conference workshops
– Standards-Aligned Online Resources for Secondary Math
and Science Teaching and Electronic Portfolio Tools
– NSTA learning Center Workshop for Participants of the
NSDL/Noyce Summer 2010 Solar Neighborhood Workshop
– An Informal Conversation for Faculty and Staff with Google
Inc. Education Team Members
• Poster Reception
– Included lots of food
– Had a task for folks to do
Saturday, March 26
• Welcoming Remarks
• Concurrent Sessions
• Keynote- Kendall Zoller
The Choreography of Teaching: 7 Essential
Abilities of Effective Teaching
• Voices from the Field
• Lightning Session
Sunday, March 27
•
•
•
•
Concurrent Sessions
Keynote- Sharaud Moore
Closing Session
Evaluations
Concurrent Sessions
• Selection of 42 workshops
– Classroom Management
– Technology
– Model Lessons/Activities
– ELL/Differentiating Instruction
– Leadership/Professional Growth
– PI/Project Staff
• Workshop descriptions and
materials available online at
www.wrnc2011.org
Project Timeline
• September
– Hired conference coordinator
• October
– Visited venues/hotels
– Sent out Save the Date emails
• November
– Conference call with WRNC steering committee
– Planning Survey to PIs
• December
– Contacted Math and Science teacher organizations for
donations (free conf. registrations, journals, membership
info, etc.)
– Order conference bags
• January
– Contacted and contracted keynote speakers
– Sent out the Call for Proposals
Timeline
• February
– Registration
– Deadline for proposals
– Review & select proposal
– Finalize program
• March
– Confirmed number of rooms needed
– Pre-conference visit to discuss schedule, layout, and details
– Posted e-materials on website
– Stuff folders & bags
– WRNC!
• April (and May)
– Processed travel claims
– Evaluation data processed
• Summary data sent to each presenter
– Wrote final report
Conference Odds & Ends
• Need volunteers or workers • Students liked raffles
to staff registration tables
• Helpful to have multiple
(throughout entire
eating options within safe,
conference)
walking distance
• Schedule at a glance was
– Include listing in program
folder
popular (back of nametag)
• Signage with session
names outside rooms
– Include hotel room map
Evaluation
• Two forms of evaluation
– External evaluator: different surveys for Scholars
& project staff with Likert items related to
conference objectives and open ended questions
about sessions and conference elements that
were helpful and less helpful.
– Our own evaluation: Participants were asked to
evaluate each general session, keynote speaker,
and break-out session they attended, as well as
provide feedback as to what they found most
valuable and would have liked that was not
included.
Please indicate the number that most closely matches your response to the statement.
5 = “strongly agree”
4 = “agree”
3 = “neither agree nor disagree”
2 = “disagree”
1 = “strongly disagree”
I am more connected to others who will teach in high needs schools.
I intend to maintain contact with some of those I met at the conference.
Merlot Voices will help me communicated with others in my subject.
I feel better prepared for the secondary school classroom.
I feel more optimistic about my ability to succeed in high needs schools.
I am optimistic about new technologies I can use to teach with.
I am more acquainted with on-line resources in my subject.
I feel better able to adapt instruction to students with different needs.
I feel more able to maintain an effective learning environment.
I will use on-line resources introduced at the conference in my teaching.
I have learned new techniques for managing problem behavior.
The keynote speakers increased my enthusiasm for teaching.
The session I found most helpful was,
The session I found least helpful was,
Elements of the conference that were of the most value to me include,
Elements of the program that weren’t helpful include,
Session 2 (Saturday 10:15-11:15)
 Survive and Thrive: Setting the Stage
the First Week of School
 Scientific Inquiry and Engineering
Design: Engaging Students in
Authentic STEM Learning
 Studio Math Classroom: A Model for
Developing Leadership, Mentoring
and Fostering Professional Learning
 Lesson Study for Secondary
Teaching
 Preparing STEM Teachers in Highly
Engaging State-of-the-Art Digital
Applications for the Classroom
 Learning By Doing: Virtual
Courseware for Science Education
Waste of Time
Not Useful
Neutral
Useful
Very useful
Please note which session you attended
and then mark the session’s overall
usefulness.
Comments about the session
Evaluation Results
• Overall, the external evaluation reveals that the 2011
Western Regional Noyce Conference was a great
success.
– Noyce Scholars and PIs expressed the keynote speakers,
networking, and workshop variety as the most valuable
elements of the conference.
– PIs would have liked more sessions and networking
opportunities geared for PIs/Project Staff.
– Noyce Scholars would have liked more subject-specific
session, especially for math, and more sessions that
provided hands-on activities and lesson plans.
– Scholars did not find the Voices from the Field to be
valuable. Would have rather had alums share specific
strategies and tips or had another workshop or time for
networking
Acknowledgements
• WRNC Leadership Team
Jodye Selco and Davida Fischman
– CSU Fresno Dave Andrews & Jaime Arvizu
– Arizona State University Ingrid Novordosky
– CSULB Angela Tuan & our current Noyce Scholars
• Thanks to NSF
Folder Items
•
•
•
•
Agenda
Descriptions of sessions
Attendee list
State math and science teacher organizations
and upcoming conference dates
• Evaluation materials
External Evaluation
Executive Summary
The 2011 Western Noyce Conference was held at Long Beach, California,
Friday through Sunday, from the 25th to the 27th of March. The conference
included Noyce Scholars and administrators who represented university
campuses from six western states including Washington, Oregon, California,
Arizona, Colorado, and Idaho. Dr. Laura Henriques, for whom California
State University, Long Beach is a home campus, provided much of the
organization for the conference with assistance from other Noyce Principal
Investigators from throughout the CSU system.
There was a variety of talks and demonstration sessions designed to help
Noyce scholars develop networks with others who teach science and math
in high-needs schools, promote access to on-line resources for classroom
teachers, and present solutions to the problems common to teaching and
managing underperforming math and science students. All conference
participants were invited to respond to surveys based on conference
objectives. Many also provided feedback regarding the individual
concurrent sessions. Results indicate that those who attended believe the
conference objectives to have been addressed and by any reasonable
measure, felt that the conference was a great success.